The present invention relates generally to the field of power electronic devices such as those used in power conversion or applying power to motors and similar loads. More particularly, the invention relates to a common mode magnetic device configured to cooperate with a bus structure.
In the field of power electronic devices, a wide range of circuitry is known and currently available for transmitting, converting, producing, and applying power. Depending upon the application, such circuitry may transmit incoming power to various devices and/or convert incoming power from one form to another as needed by a load. In a typical drive system arrangement, for example, constant or varying frequency alternating current power (e.g., from a utility grid or generator) is converted to controlled frequency alternating current power that can be used to drive motors and other loads. In this type of application, the frequency of the output power can be regulated to control the speed of the motor or other device. Circuitry for providing such functionality is often packaged together. Indeed, electrical systems with packaged electrical and electronic components, such as drive cabinets and motor control centers (MCCs), are known and in use. For example, a drive cabinet may include a rectifier (converter), an inverter, transitional attachments, and so forth. Further, such electrical enclosures may include bus work that communicatively couples the components with a power source and/or other components.
Electronic components such as those discussed above are typically coupled to a power source and/or load via cabling. For example, input cabling may pass into an electrical cabinet and couple with a bus system, and output cabling from the electrical cabinet may couple with a load. This cabling is often utilized with a common mode magnetic device to improve operation of the system. For example, operation of a drive system such as that discussed above often benefits from utilization of a common mode magnetic device (e.g., a common mode core) with power input and/or output from the drive system. A common mode magnetic device may include a common mode core, which is essentially an inductor. Typically, a common mode core includes numerous loops of wire disposed about a core such that the common mode core forms a toroid. Typically, a common mode core is utilized by placing the toroid around input cables to a drive system or output cables from the drive system. When a common mode core is utilized around input cables to a drive system, it typically functions to reduce harmonics or provide a line voltage buffer. When a reactor is utilized around output cables from a drive system, it typically functions to provide a filter for reflected wave reduction.
Traditional electrical cabinets, electrical components, common mode cores, and so forth make installation and/or maintenance of common mode core features inconvenient. For example, it is often necessary to disassemble and/or rearrange certain components to place a common mode core around input or output cabling. Further, it is now recognized that it can be difficult to fish the input or output cabling through the toroidal body of a traditional common mode core. Also, positioning of a common mode core at an available location is often inconvenient. For example, due to spatial limitations, a traditional common mode core may have to be positioned in a location that exposes the common mode core to additional wear and deterioration.
Accordingly, it is now recognized that it would be desirable to develop a common mode core that can be conveniently coupled to electronic components.